Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Update on Handmade Journals - How to do the Rubber band Binding

The rubber band binding is a little tricky even for my oldest students. It took them several tries until they got it and then they mastered it. They took their newly acquired skill and went off and helped younger hands finish their journals.

Here are a few pictures:

Use a double-hole puncher to punch holes through the cover, the back and the paper in between -

Hold the papers together and feed a small rubber band through one of the holes -

Put one end of the coffee stir stick through the rubber band loop poking through the front cover of the journal. This will kept the rubber band from slipping back out of the hole -

While holding the stir stick on the cover with left hand thumb, pull the back loop of the rubber band across to the second hole and through on the right front side -

Wrap second loop of rubber band around right end of stir stick. If needed wrap rubber band loops twice around stir stick ends to form and X. (One of my 6 year olds described it to a 5 year old as follows: "You know, like when you put your hair in a ponytail.)

7 comments:

This would also make a great mother's day gift. I have a question, can you do more than one print from the shaving cream? You know, after you peel off the first paper?. This is such an easy and beautiful work. Take care...Cheryl from OK

Yes, you can. I helped the children scrape the used shaving cream from the squeegee and put it back into the heap on the tray. I got at least 6 front and backs from one batch of shaving cream. Then, to save money I just took off the top and added a little more of the white shaving cream and used it again. I think we made fifteen journals top and bottoms from one large can. You might get more but our day had come to an end and we needed to clean up. It really is not that expensive.

Thank you so much for reminding me about this activity - I introduced it with the inset paper first (because I have a few melamine trays that size) - it has been so popular! Most stand alone but we've also made cards and book covers, even one tiny box was wrapped. I also loved doing it - laminated a sheet for a painting tray and have to refrain from covering every can in sight - maybe just one wastepaper basket?!!?

About Me

Susan Slocum Dyer is the great-great granddaughter of Joshua Slocum, the first person to solo-circumnavigate the world and author of the classic text, "Sailing Alone Around the World." Ms. Dyer is an internationally published author, herself, and gives maritime lectures at sea ports across the globe.

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The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in me and I wake in the night at the least sound in fear of what my life and my children's lives may be, I go and lie down where the wood drake rests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.

I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethought of grief. I come into the presence of still water. And I feel above me the day-blind stars waiting with their light. For a time I rest in the grace of the world and am free.

Wendell BerryPoems to Live by in Uncertain Times

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